Ramaphosa’s Dilemma: Judicial Inquiry Gazetted as MK Party Pushes No-Confidence Motion

Public outrage, police scandal, and rising political tensions: Is Ramaphosa running out of room to manoeuvre?

President Cyril Ramaphosa has officially gazetted a Judicial Commission of Inquiry to probe serious claims of criminality and political interference in South Africa’s law enforcement agencies. But while the ink on the commission’s terms is barely dry, a political storm is already raging and the president is squarely in its eye.

At the centre of the uproar is a bombshell revelation by KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi. His testimony raised red flags about a criminal justice system compromised from within, implicating elements of the police and intelligence services in shady dealings, and triggering a reckoning Ramaphosa could no longer delay.

A Justice System Under Fire

Tasked with the enormous responsibility of untangling these webbed allegations is Acting Deputy Chief Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga, who will chair the inquiry. The commission has a broad mandate: investigate misconduct, evaluate criminal interference, and assess whether any officials must be suspended immediately.

For many South Africans, weary of years of state capture and police scandals, the announcement was a step in the right direction — albeit long overdue.

But Ramaphosa’s handling of the fallout, particularly regarding Police Minister Senzo Mchunu, has earned him fresh critics.

MK Party Turns Up the Heat

Enter the Umkhonto weSizwe Party (MK Party), which is now calling for Ramaphosa’s head, figuratively, for now. Chief Whip Colleen Makhubele, speaking in Cape Town on Tuesday, announced that the party has filed a motion of no confidence in the president. The reason? His failure to sack Mchunu.

Instead of dismissing Mchunu after Mkhwanazi’s damning claims, Ramaphosa placed the Police Minister on special leave. Professor Firoz Cachalia was appointed acting minister, a move Makhubele calls “unconstitutional.” The MK Party is now challenging it in the Constitutional Court.

“This is cowardice, plain and simple,” said Makhubele. “Ramaphosa had a chance to show leadership, to protect the people. Instead, he chose politics over principle.”

Selective Sacrifices?

Fueling the MK Party’s outrage is what they describe as Ramaphosa’s selective accountability. Just days ago, former Higher Education Minister Nobuhle Nkabane was shown the door a move Makhubele slammed as “politically expedient.”

“She was an easy, soft target. A sacrificial lamb at the GNU altar,” said Makhubele, referring to the Government of National Unity. “Meanwhile, Minister Mchunu with a cloud of scandal hanging over him, is shielded. It’s hypocritical.”

The MK Party has called for an emergency sitting of Parliament within the next two weeks to debate and vote on the no-confidence motion.

Public Response and the Bigger Picture

On social media, the response has been sharply divided. While some South Africans applauded the judicial inquiry as a necessary mechanism to clean up rot within law enforcement, others remain sceptical, citing past commissions whose findings collected dust.

“Another inquiry? Yawn. We want arrests, not reports,” one user posted on X (formerly Twitter), reflecting a widespread fatigue with commissions that lead to little action.

The no-confidence motion, although unlikely to succeed given the ANC’s parliamentary clout, signals rising frustration from newer political players and ordinary citizens alike. The MK Party’s bold move reflects a shifting political landscape where younger parties are increasingly positioning themselves as champions of accountability.

A Moment of Reckoning

With the inquiry underway and political pressure mounting, Ramaphosa finds himself at a crossroads. His next moves, whether firm or faltering, will not only shape the outcome of this latest scandal but could also define his legacy.

South Africa is watching, and this time, it won’t settle for half-measures.

{Source: IOL}

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